Unexpected Valentine
by Lily MJ Fae
Summary: Ron dumped Hermione just before their date, so she turns to her most surprising friend since the war, knowing that Severus would never defend Ron. Cute small little story.


_**A/N:**_ _Hello. This is a fun story about our favorite pair._

 _Happy belated birthday_ _ **Slytherin Buttercat**_ _. Your otp is mine, so writing this for you is easy-peasy. I hope you like it. I'm not using any of your prompts, . Though I found a good one...or twenty on pinterest..._

 _Prompts:_

 _Quidditch Pitch: bench_

 _Drabble Club: frost_

 _Pinterest: 1) person a takes person b out on Valentine's day because person b's original date cancelled. Person b realizes they'd rather be with person a anyway. 2) "Kiss me until I forget how terrified I am of everything wrong with my life." 3) "The problem is," he said as he leaned in, "if I kissed you, I don't think think I'd be able to stop."_

 _I hope you enjoy._

* * *

Hermione had thought long and hard before she knocked on the door at Spinner's end, but Severus has become her friend. Though he was cold, and not always great at comforting, she needed to be near someone who wouldn't defend Ronald for dumping her right before their date for Valentine's day. No, she'd rather not be near any of them. So she took a deep breath and knocked.

It was only a moment or two before Severus opened the door, standing in his usual attire.

"Granger, I wasn't expecting you," he drawled, a flash of worry in his eye before the indifferent stare returned. "I thought you had plans."

"Yes well, Ron decided that he had better things to do than be with me. So, I wanted to spend today away from our mutual friends and their attempts to make me feel better."

He reached for his keys hanging on the hook by his door and stepped outside with her.

"What are-"

"I had errands to run. And I'm not letting you brood. You'll become an emotional mess. I'd rather not deal with that."

"I-I-"

"Come along, Granger."

* * *

They had indeed run errands, each ending with Severus simply vanishing his purchases home. They now found themselves in a bookstore, warming Hermione's spirits completely as she browsed the shelves, running a finger across the spines lovingly.

"Would you like one?"

She jumped a little, having forgotten that she was with someone. She looked to Severus, shocked by the softer than usual tone in his voice.

"I-i"

"I won't make the offer again. I only make it because you'll actually appreciate the book," he said as he picked a book up off the shelf to read the back.

"I couldn't possibly-I could-I can buy my own books," she struggled to get out. She felt unnerved. Though they were friends, he still only called her Granger. And he'd never made such an offer before. It seemed as though something shifted in a few short hours.

"Granger, you think I don't know that? I'm offering."

"I-" she started as she looked to the shelf in front of her. A book was always a lovely gift. "Thank you. But you'll have to pick it."

He sighed and continued to browse the books. "You're insufferable."

She giggled softly, continuing to follow behind. So many days she wondered how they came to be friends. She chalked it up to him being to delirious in the hospital during recovery from the battle. But that hadn't explained why he started her friend after he was released.

"Why don't you call me Hermione?" she asked.

"What?"

"Well, I'm no longer your student. And we've become friends, at least, that's certainly what it seems like. Yet you still call me Granger. Why is that?"

"Does it bother you?"

"No, I'm just curious is all."

"It's simply habit."

"Okay."

They continued to browse in silence.

* * *

"You know, Sherlock Holmes has always been a favorite series of mine," Hermione said, tracing the letters of the cover with her fingers.

"Yes, well, more people could learn a thing or two from him."

They strolled through an empty park, it being far too cold for any normal person to be venturing out. Fortunately, as the sunset over the small town in England, they were able to cast warming charms to keep away the cold.

"Thank you," she said softly as they came to a park bench.

"You've already thanked me for the book, Hermione," he responded, saying her name with a certain reluctance.

She smiled though, happy he had even said it at all. "Not just for the book, Severus. For today. Ron wanted to go see a quidditch and then go to a pub. Which, frankly, we've done a lot of and I hate. Indeed I got to enjoy a very casual day with a dear friend doing something that actually made me happy. Thank you for that."

He sat down on the bench, crossing one leg over the other. "It was nothing."

She sat down next to him, her body turned towards him, and she placed a hand on his leg. He jumped a little, looking at her hand and then at her. "It's not nothing, Severus. I was so terrified of leaving Ron because it would upset everyone, and then I stayed with him and he dumped me just before the ridiculous date he planned, just so he could take another girl who actually liked the game. And now I can't even be mad at him because they're all defending him. Everything is so wrong in my life since I kissed him. Everything except you." She looked at him, wondering what he was thinking. Somehow they had ended up closer together and she found herself speaking before she could think it through, "Kiss me."

"What?" he nearly yelled, pulling back.

"Kiss me until I forget how terrified I am of everything wrong with my life."

He looked at her for a moment. First, she thought it was his usual cold glare. The one that made her wonder if they were still friends sometimes. But then she saw a flash of something in his eyes.

"The problem is," he said as he leaned in, "if I kissed you, I don't think think I'd be able to stop."

that was not the response she had expected, but in that moment she didn't care. She closed the distance between them and brought her lips to his. She felt fireworks as he responded in kind, a hand coming up to cup her cheek. In that moment, her troubles seemed melt away desire the frost all around them.

* * *

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